20+ Memory-Making Family Activities for Teens

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Coming up with family activities for teens may seem a challenge. We’re fed the idea that teens don’t want anything to do with their families and would rather be with their friends all day every day.

While this may be true in some cases, I don’t believe it has to be that way.

Fostering a culture of togetherness and respect in your home can be achieved through consistency and intentionality.

However, if you’re stuck for ideas on how to really make sure your teen is feeling seen and included, here’s a list of ideas for you.

Family Activities for Teens: 20+ Great Ideas!

These aren’t rocket science. You could probably sit down and come up with this list all by yourself. The key here is to make sure it’s something your teen would enjoy.

Let them know that you care about what they do and don’t like. Have fun together with them and they will truly appreciate it. Use these family activities for teens to create special memories and form bonds with your kids that will last a lifetime!

Being Intentional With Your Teenager

Society tends to segregate families based on their age. More and more it is expected that we split up each day of the week and go our separate ways. Parents head to work, kids to school, and on the weekend everyone has their own thing to go to.

Of course, work and school aren’t really optional so that’s just something we have to deal with.

However, the hours outside of that should be spent fostering close family relationships, not just going our own ways.

There are times when we can partake in our own personal interests, but it needs to be balanced with pouring into our family.

Our teens are bombarded by a whole bunch of new information, changing hormones, and peer pressure. At a time when they’re struggling to find their place in the world, it’s important that we’re intentional about making them know that they’re welcome and loved.

These simple activities may not seem profound, but when coupled with a loving heart of intentionality, they can be deeply powerful.

Spending quality time together doing fun things is a win-win for kids of all ages.

#1 Play Board Games

There are so many more board games than just monopoly now. You’re sure to be able to find one that your teenager will enjoy.

One of my favorite ones is 221B Baker Street, which is a mystery-based game. Think Cluedo but far better.

Others to consider are:

Game nights often end in raucous laughter and everyone having a good time. They’re also really good for learning how to be a gracious winner (and loser!). Over time, build up your collection of games. There will be so many fun memories made that your teen will treasure.

#2 Read a Book Together

There’s just something special about having common memories about certain stories. My mom used to read aloud to me and my siblings and those times are some of my fondest memories.

Reading together fosters a family culture of togetherness. You can laugh about common jokes and shared interests.

If you don’t wish to do a read-aloud, you could share a book with your teen. Have a bookmark each and take turns reading the book.

You could then discuss the book when you’re finished, or even chapter by chapter. This is a fun way to create something to talk about that you have in common. Plus, if you don’t care for a lot of screen time then it’s a great way to avoid that.

You could even turn this into a proper family book club and extend it to grandparents, cousins, or aunts and uncles.

#3 Play Video Games

Not every teen is into video games, but if yours is then why not play with them? Set up a family video game night and have fun with it.

Embracing your teen’s interests can be a super helpful way to continue to nurture your relationship with them. This is also a perfect rainy day activity. You could even have a bit of friendly competition.

Set up a long-term competition that will last a few weeks. Every game night, tally up the scores. At the end of the competition announce the winner and hand out a prize. You could then go out for dinner to celebrate the occasion.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be that elaborate, but you can really make this a big deal if you’d like to.

#4 Go Hiking

Getting outside and enjoying a hike together is a great way to spend time with your teen! You could even consider turning it into a camping trip. This is a great family activity for building resilience as well as fitness levels! You can totally fill up a photo book with all your great adventures.

It’s also a great activity where everyone kind of gets their own space. If a person wants to chat then they can, and if they want to just keep quiet and enjoy the outdoors, that can happen too.

#5 Go Skiing

If you have ski fields nearby and a teen that is interested in skiing, then go ahead and hit the slopes with them. Skiing can be an awesome family activity to do with your teen. This may be a new skill that you learn together as a family. There are skiing lessons available for older kids, younger children, and even adults, so don’t be shy!

Maybe bring along the Go Pro if you have one so that you can capture a lot of fun footage to be able to look back on.

#6 Run Together

Running together as a family is a great way to spend time with your teen. Exercise is awesome for so many reasons. It will surely help with all the fluctuating hormones that your teen has to deal with.

If you’re not running too hard then you might even be able to fit in some good conversations. There’s something about running side by side that lends the opportunity to converse.

However, sometimes it can be just as beneficial to just be together without having to have any kind of conversation. It’s comforting for your teen to know that you’re there for them, even if they don’t feel like talking.

You can also set up a challenge to work on together as a family. Perhaps you want to be able to work up to a certain distance, or just clock up a number of miles. You could train for a 10k marathon and complete it as a family. There are lots of options for making this more than just a daily run if that’s what you’d like to do. Having common goals is fun and motivating.

#7 Volunteer

I remember being a teen and I remember how easy it was to focus on only myself. Getting involved in volunteering as a family is a great way to expand your teen’s worldview in a healthy way.

You can spend time with your teen but also be teaching them to see the world outside of themselves. There are so many different ways to volunteer. Your child may like to help out in a soup kitchen, an animal shelter, or through their local church.

#8 Go Bike Riding

If you don’t already own a bike, look for a second-hand one. There are often used ones that are being sold on for really affordable prices.

Find some local trails to ride together with your teen. You could stick to road biking or try mountain biking. Often there are designated cycleways that are a nice introduction to biking if you haven’t done it for a while.

#9 Cook Dinner Together

Dinner is something that is required every night so why not make it into a fun activity to do with your teen?

If you’re not a huge lover of cooking then it’ll help make it more enjoyable. Plus, you’ll be setting your teen up with really important life skills. We all need to know how to cook healthy meals for ourselves.

You can even involve them in the meal planning and grocery shopping process. Young people often lack these skills so it’s the perfect time to focus on them and also have as much fun as possible. Family dinner is an excellent way to get to know each other more and just have some family time.

#10 Have a Family Movie Night

Movie nights are sure to be a winner with your teen. Let them weigh in on which movie the family will watch.

Perhaps you can even spend time together making snacks or at least collecting them before your movie night begins. Make it nice and cozy and fun. Let family members take turns choosing which show you’ll watch so that it’s fair on everyone.

#11 Try an Escape Room

Escape rooms are fun! Do this as a family and perhaps invite a few of your teen’s friends along too. This is one of those fun activities that can be pricey, but if you can afford it, you’re sure to have a great time together. Older children can help younger kids and you can all work together as a family to figure it out.

#12 Go Mini Golfing

Mini golfing can be super fun to do together as a family, especially if you have teens. There are some pretty cool mini-golf courses out there now. Often you can find courses that use black lights to make it visually cool. Have everyone wear something white to take advantage of that. It’s lots of fun!

#13 Head to the Beach

If you live near the beach, why not have a beach day? The beach is unique in that there’s something to do for everyone. If you’re not into swimming, then sit back and read a book.

Teens can do as they please but the whole family will also be catered for. Little kids can play in the sand while the adults chill out a bit. It’s a casual way of having some family fun without things being too organized.

#14 Ten Pin Bowling

A classic activity to do as a family is ten-pin bowling. Teens will enjoy the fun and competition. Go out on a Friday or Saturday night and enjoy each other’s company while playing. Perhaps have a prize ready for the winner. Some friendly competition helps to keep things interesting.

#15 Play Card Games

There are so many different card games out there. Find a few that your teen will enjoy and have a family card night. You may even want to make it a regular thing.

We loved playing cards together as a family. I have special memories of playing cards with my brother for hours on rainy afternoons.

Some ideas are:

Uno
Uno Flip
Monopoly Deal
Gin Rummy
Presidents and Scums
Dutch Blitz

This is also a great way to really work on sibling relationships. My brother and I would end up in fits of laughter over certain things that happened while we were playing games. It was so much fun!

#16 Do a Puzzle

I have such fond memories of working on puzzles together as a family. We would always do them when we went away on family holidays.

Usually, it was during the winter. We’d set up the puzzle on a table and come and go throughout the day to work on it.

It was fun to hang out together and have some friendly banter. You can often find puzzles at thrift stores for an affordable price. However, you do run the risk of their being missing pieces.

#17 Play Would You Rather

This is a super fun game to play as a family. It’s also a good way to get to know your teen even better. Have a list of questions to ask and then take turns sharing answers. There are fun questions that you can find online.

Make sure you search for family-friendly questions to ask.

#18 Play Never Have I Ever

This is another fun game to play as a family. You may be surprised at the answers you get though! Just do a quick google for family-friendly questions to ask. Your kids may be shocked at some of your answers as well.

#19 Go Fishing

Sometimes you just want a little downtime. Life is busy. It can be hard to find moments of quiet to connect with your teen.

Go on a fishing trip and enjoy a slower pace for a bit. It may give you some really great moments to connect with your child and discuss important issues.

Or, you may not discuss anything big, but just connecting with them will be wonderful for your relationship.

#20 Go Swimming

Whether it’s for the purpose of building fitness, or simply to have fun, going swimming is a great activity to do with your teen and to do as a family in general.

#21 Work Out Together

Honestly, working out with at least one other person makes it so much more enjoyable. Why not do a family workout together? It doesn’t have to be every day but see if you can schedule it in at least once per week. Plus, while a lot of these are either strictly indoor activities or outdoor activities, working out can be either.

It’s also a really good way to introduce the topic of healthy body image and how to nurture our bodies. In a world where our young ones are bombarded by opinions on what they look like (or should look like), it’s important that we have those conversations with them.

#22 Brainstorm a Small Business

If you have an entrepreneurial kid then why not sit down with them and brainstorm small business ideas? It’s the perfect opportunity to talk about how business works, finances, and the logistics of everything. It’s a great life skill to be able to come up with a plan and then work towards your goals.

Let them dream a bit and fit out what it is that they’re really passionate about. There’s no better way to get to know them than by just asking and showing interest.

#22 Go Rock Climbing

This is an awesome family activity to do with teens. You may struggle to make it work if you have particularly young children as well, but for a family with older kids, this is perfect! Provided, of course, that you’re not terrified of heights. That may be an obstacle you may not be able to work through.

#23 Head to the Water Parks

A water park is a super fun day out for the entire family, but especially those with teens. You don’t have to stress so much about water safety as you do when you have really little ones. You can spend time together as a family having a whole bunch of fun. Follow it up with an ice cream date and it’ll be a real hit with your kids.

#24 Head to the Skatepark

Bring out the bikes, roller skates, roller blades, scooters, and skateboards. If you’re not one to join in, then bring the camera and use the slow-mo mode to catch some great video footage of your kids! This is a great way of exercising, getting fresh air, and spending time with your kids.

#25 Craft

Some teens are super into crafting. Honestly, there’s a vast range here. Think card-making, jewelry-making, woodworking, crocheting, and more! Start a family project and have your teen be the manager. You’ll be surprised by what they can come up with. Have them create a budget and list of all the materials you’ll need. It could be something for the home or something to gift to someone else.

#26 Find Something They Love and Do It With Them

When we’re looking to intentionally and purposefully engage with our teenagers, it is vital to look for something that they enjoy.

Not only are they going to be far more interested in the activity, but it also shows them that you care. They’ll know that you see them and their interests and love them enough to do those with them.

Find what your teen enjoys and join them together as a family. It could be photography, skateboarding, dance, etc.

Even if it just means being there to support them, it is such a good thing to do!

Final Thoughts

Intentionally spending time together with our teenagers is so important. Despite how they may sometimes act, teenagers do actually crave attention from their family members.

There doesn’t have to be this great divide in the family as soon as you enter the teen years.

Instead, be intentional to find out what they love and enjoy. Then, take those things and do them together. Show an interest and prove to them that they are loved and important in your home.

These activities are all super simple but can have a lasting impact on relationships when they’re done with love. Parents of teens can have good relationships with their kids! It doesn’t all have to be angst and fighting.